Fastener for use with belts



W. H.-STEVENS. FASTENER FOR USE WITH BELTS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. I918.

1,361,921, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- W. H. STEVENS.

FASTENER FOR USE WSTH BELTS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1918.

. 1 3 1 921 Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WILLIAM H. SIIJEVENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENER FOR USE WITH BELTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed June 15, 1918. serial No. 240,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM H. STEVENS, a subject of the King'of Great Britain, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Use in Connection with Belts, Garters, Suspenders, etc., of which the followingis a specification.

' This invention relates to tongue-andbuckle fasteners for use in connection with belts, garters, suspenders, and the like, and aims to provide a device of this kind including but a single piece. In a modified form of the invention there is a unitary device including gripping means at each end, so that the necessity for positively attaching the strap or tape to one end of the buckle is avoided.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less broad than those stated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be'in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations,

arrangements of parts, and applications of principles constituting theinvention; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is'a perspective view of a belt as an example of an article in connection with which my invention may be used; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tongue-and-buckle member; Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing how one end of the strap of Fig. 1 is sewed at one end of the buckle frame and showing the free end of the strap engaged by the tongue; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the device, Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same with the strap or tape member in position; Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, are views similar to Figs. 5 and 6 respectively of a further modified form; Fig. 11 is a view illustrating the application of my in vention to the adjusting buckle of a suspender; Fig. 12 is an edge view of the same, with parts in section; Figs. 13 and 14 are views similar to Figs. 11 and 12 respectively showing how my invention may be applied to a suspender end; and Fig. 15 is a view resiliency together .with capacity for re ceivmg a permanent set. This member constitutes a tongue and buckle in itself and comprlses slde frameportions l5 and end frame portions 16 and 16. And in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 the frame is provided with cut-out portions 17 and 18, separated from "each other by a cross-bar 19. The cross-bar in the form shown in these figures takes'one end of the. strap or tape 20, which is bent around the cross-bar 19 and sewed as indicated at 21, passing under. the end frame portion 16. At the other extremity of the frame the end frame portion 16' is located below the general plane of the frame, as is perhaps most clearly apparent from Figs. 3 and 4, this end cross-bar 16 being connected to the frame by means of downwardlybent portions 22 of the sidepieces 15. Between these downwardly bent side pieces 22 is a wide flat tongue 24 integral with and projecting from the frame, defined by cuts 25, the inner ends of these cuts being preferably rounded as indicated at 26, to prevent tearing at the root of the tongue. Preferably the tongue and the side frame pieces back of the tongue are made more rigid by the provision of longitudinal corrugations 27, which may be readily formed in the material by stamping. The free end 28 of the strap or belt shown in Figs. 1 and 4 passes under .theend bar 16' and between this end bar and the free end of the tongue 24, and thence under the other end cross-bar 16, at the right of the figures. If desired the end cross-bar 16 may be elevated above the general plane of the frame and tongue, as shown-in Fig. 4, to allow of'the more ready passage between it of the free end of the strap or belt. The edge of the free end of the tongue approaches more or less closely to a vertical plane passing throughthe inner edge of the end cross-bar 16, ac-' cording to the'thickness of the belt or strap which is to be bent between them, the arrangement shown-in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 being I I being designed for a less thickness of belt or tape.

The action of the parts when the free end of the belt is in position as in Figs. 4 and 6, and the pull is applied to the belt, is as follows: The body portion of the frame, including the tongue,.is relatively rigid, while the downwardly bent side portions 22 and end "cross-bar 16' may move with respect to the body of the frame and-to the tongue because of the inherent resiliency of the material. The result is that theend cross-bar 16 moves up toward the general plane of the frame and toward the free end of the tongue, The horizontal distances between the inner edge of the cross-bar 16 and the end of the tongue 24, and the normal vertical distance between the end cross-bar 16 and the tongue 24 are predetermined in accordance with the thickness of the strap or tape with which the buckle is to be used, and are calculated so that the strap may be freely introduced between the bar'16' and the tongue 24, and so that when pulling strain is applied to the strap and the end bar 16' moves up toward the tongue,the strap or tape is bent between the inner edge of the cross-bar 16 and the end of the tongue. Obviously the pinching of the strap depends on the fact that the horizontal distance between the end of the tongue and the inner edge of the cross-bar 16 is less than the normal thickness of the strap. It will be apparent that instead of making the body portion of the frame and the tongue relatively rigid and the front cross-bar relatively movable toward the tongue, the conditions might be reversed and the tongue be the movable member.

In Figs. 7 to 10 I have shown a frame with a tongue ateach end, the relations be tween the tongues and the adjacent crossbars being similar to those already described. Inthe Fig. 7 construction there is a single transverse opening 28 medially of the frame and between the two tongues, through which the strap ends are passed, as indicated in Fig. 8. In the Fig. 9 construction there are two openings, one opening 29 between the tongues and another opening 30 between one of thertongues and the adjacent end of the frame, the strap ends being passed through ihese openings for instance as indicated in i .10. I I

11 Figs. 11 and 12 I show how a device of the kind described may be adapted for use in connection with suspenders.

. figures I' show an arrangement similar to that of Fig. 2, the fabric 30 being gripped between the tongue 24 and the cross-bar 16',

and passingunder the other end cross-bar 16, thence downwardly through an end fitment 131, thence upwardly through opening 17 of the frame, and over and around the In those cross-bar 19. Obviously adjustment maybe made whenever the pulling strain is released on the device.

In Figs.- 13 and 14 the device combines .away from the frame and from the cross-bar 16 toward the outside or front of the buckle frame. In this form of device it is not neces- 1 sary that there be any relative movability between the tongue 24 and the cross-bar 16 The device may be absolutely rigid in every part, and the stra will be held because of the sharp bend wh1ch it must take in passing fromthe under side 'of the frame(referring to Fig. 15) between the cross-bar 16 and the tongue 24 and thence over the edge of the tongue 'and under cross-bar 16, and assuming of' course a pulling strain on the free end of the strap in a direction away from the buckle and at anangle of more than ninety degrees to the plane of the tongue 24.

Obviously the device is useful in other relations than. those shown; and obviously also, in the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 10, the cross-bar 16 might behinged to the frame instead of being resiliently movably connected therewith as described. In such case, however, a stop would be provided to prevent the cross-bar from passing up beyond the plane of the tongue.

Inasmuch as manyv changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of my invention could be made without depart ing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description.

or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I

It is also to be understood th t the language used in the following cl is intended to cover all the generic and "specific features of the invention herein described comprising a frame and an intefgral tongue, and a cross-bar normally out 0 and parallel to the general plane of the tongue, said cross-bar being resiliently connected to the frame by divergent side portions thereof whereby the cross-bar is relatively movable toward the tongue.

3. A one piece tongue-and-buckle member comprising a generally flat frame with diverging resilient side portions and an end piece connected thereto, a. tongue out in the frame with its free end extendlng toward the end piece, the end piece adjacent the free end of'the tongue being positioned away from and parallel to the general plane of the tongue and capable of movement toward the plane of the tongue, the tongue, and the frame except for the resilient side portions and the end purpose set forth;

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. STEVENS.

piece being provided with lon-' gitudinal corrugations substantially for the 

